Pietersen keen to maintain friendships

Monday 9 January 2006 00:10 BST

Kevin Pietersen has challenged Australia to retain off-field friendships this winter despite demands from Down Under for a more ruthless edge.

Pietersen is close mates with Shane Warne and their bond was a lasting feature of England's 2-1 victory last year. Players sharing a beer with the opposition in the dressing rooms was also a regular feature of the 2005 campaign - but former Australian players, including selector Merv Hughes, have urged the players to ditch their nice-guy images as they seek to regain the Ashes.

"That's what created such a buzz about cricket again because everybody was so hard on the field and shared a beer off the field in the last Ashes," said Pietsersen. "At the end of the day Warney got 40 wickets and I got runs - it didn't affect our performances. Hopefully this series will be exactly the same as the last one."

It is a situation reminiscent of the one in 1989 when then captain Allan Border put his personal relationships aside to the surprise of the previous English side to hold the urn.

Veteran Glenn McGrath could never be considered charitable to Englishmen dressed in white.

Perhaps the most significant ball of last year's series was the one McGrath trod on which ruled him out of the Edgbaston Test - he also missed the other defeat, at Trent Bridge, through injury.

Those memories, the 36-year-old says, will provide the spur for revenge.

"It is definitely frustrating sitting on the sidelines knowing you can't do anything to help," said McGrath. "It is not a situation I have spent too much time doing luckily.

"The thing that sticks in my mind the most is after the final day's play at The Oval, watching England walk up and receive the Ashes.

"It reminded me of the Edgbaston defeat in 1997, looking over to where England were celebrating. It is not something I enjoy and I will do whatever it takes not to be in that situation again. It's good motivation."